Great things are happening at Martin Luther High School!
Teaching in Crisis Mode: Pivoting to Online Work
Word of possible closures first came to MLHS via contacts from Michigan State University. “They’re closing us down Friday,” my colleague said worriedly. Fear laced her voice. “You’re not going to be far behind.”
It was Wednesday, March 11, 2020. We were just five minutes from beginning our chapel worship service. I knew this was going to be one of those monumental times, not unlike hearing about the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Rather than using my prepared chapel plan, we discussed Isaiah 41:8-11, which states:
But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
The students were justifiably fearful, as rumors were spreading like wildfire that week regarding how the corona virus would spread, who was susceptible, what might happen, and how their lives were going to change. We closed our gathering with prayer and the words of Jesus as He gave the Great Commission to his disciples, words which are posted just inside the entry of our school:
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:20b)
After school, our faculty met to make plans for a shift of our program to an online format in case K-12 schools would be closed the way the university programs had been. The Google Classroom system we were already using made the perfect foundation, and a generous donation of more than 100 used devices (iPads, laptops, and Kindles) provided function for every MLHS student. We helped connect families to cable companies for internet access, made sure they had all of the necessary textbooks and supplies they would need, then stepped into our online instruction. Daily direct instruction via Google Meet allowed our faculty and students to continue nearly seamlessly. Read on for details on our online instructional program!
Word of possible closures first came to MLHS via contacts from Michigan State University. “They’re closing us down Friday,” my colleague said worriedly. Fear laced her voice. “You’re not going to be far behind.”
It was Wednesday, March 11, 2020. We were just five minutes from beginning our chapel worship service. I knew this was going to be one of those monumental times, not unlike hearing about the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Rather than using my prepared chapel plan, we discussed Isaiah 41:8-11, which states:
But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
The students were justifiably fearful, as rumors were spreading like wildfire that week regarding how the corona virus would spread, who was susceptible, what might happen, and how their lives were going to change. We closed our gathering with prayer and the words of Jesus as He gave the Great Commission to his disciples, words which are posted just inside the entry of our school:
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:20b)
After school, our faculty met to make plans for a shift of our program to an online format in case K-12 schools would be closed the way the university programs had been. The Google Classroom system we were already using made the perfect foundation, and a generous donation of more than 100 used devices (iPads, laptops, and Kindles) provided function for every MLHS student. We helped connect families to cable companies for internet access, made sure they had all of the necessary textbooks and supplies they would need, then stepped into our online instruction. Daily direct instruction via Google Meet allowed our faculty and students to continue nearly seamlessly. Read on for details on our online instructional program!
MLHS Joins the Lutheran Education Digital Futures & Learning Project Fellowship
Sponsored by:
The Lutheran Education Association
Early in April, the Lutheran Education Association (LEA) announced a fellowship for digital learning and futures development. School officials were encouraged to apply for a position in one of the two available cohorts, which “would seek to equip educational leaders to live out their school mission in view of the post digital revolution and aimed toward a bright potential future.”
Participating schools will collaborate within the fellowship, gaining a deeper understanding of current challenges and opportunities. They will also gain a greater awareness of digital learning and future possibilities, a school-specific vision for digital learning, and a plan to make that vision a reality over the next six to twelve months” (LEA, 2020). There is no charge for this fellowship, but there are only eight spots in each cohort.
The MLHS faculty was accepted into the fellowship in early May and met with their cohort peers on Tuesday, May 11. Joined by twenty-six other the MLHS faculty and administrative team spent two hours discussing both the current reality and the unending possibilities available to us. Over the course of three sessions, we will be drafting a plan of action, exploring possibilities, and constructing a digital futures vision and action plan.
“Educators are leading in very uncertain times with unpredictable outcomes.”
-Bernard Bull, Ph.D
Program Facilitator
Digital Futures Fellowship
Specifically, the work that the cohort members will be conducting will be detailed in a white paper and used to adjust the fellowship framework for future cohort groups. Using a Writers’ Workshop form, we will collaborate with our cohort peers to draft a plan of action. We have set an aggressive goal date of August, 2020; we want to meet the upcoming school year with an academic program that will flow seamlessly between direct, in-person instruction and remote, electronic instruction.
While this aggressive plan will call for the resulting program will best serve our students and their families. The continuity of the academic flow is an imperative for student success. Teachers across the nation have pivoted their instructional methods with mere days’ or weeks’ notice in order to meet the needs of their students. This shows a dedication far beyond the norm. With the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” program perhaps nearing its close, Lutheran schools are uniquely positioned to build a strong ministry presence in this online school frontier. Thanks to its involvement in the Digital Futures Fellowship, the Martin Luther High School faculty and staff are ready to meet this challenge and further improve our academic program.
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue this effort. We look forward to sharing our work with you throughout the summer and into the upcoming academic year.
Participating schools will collaborate within the fellowship, gaining a deeper understanding of current challenges and opportunities. They will also gain a greater awareness of digital learning and future possibilities, a school-specific vision for digital learning, and a plan to make that vision a reality over the next six to twelve months” (LEA, 2020). There is no charge for this fellowship, but there are only eight spots in each cohort.
The MLHS faculty was accepted into the fellowship in early May and met with their cohort peers on Tuesday, May 11. Joined by twenty-six other the MLHS faculty and administrative team spent two hours discussing both the current reality and the unending possibilities available to us. Over the course of three sessions, we will be drafting a plan of action, exploring possibilities, and constructing a digital futures vision and action plan.
“Educators are leading in very uncertain times with unpredictable outcomes.”
-Bernard Bull, Ph.D
Program Facilitator
Digital Futures Fellowship
Specifically, the work that the cohort members will be conducting will be detailed in a white paper and used to adjust the fellowship framework for future cohort groups. Using a Writers’ Workshop form, we will collaborate with our cohort peers to draft a plan of action. We have set an aggressive goal date of August, 2020; we want to meet the upcoming school year with an academic program that will flow seamlessly between direct, in-person instruction and remote, electronic instruction.
While this aggressive plan will call for the resulting program will best serve our students and their families. The continuity of the academic flow is an imperative for student success. Teachers across the nation have pivoted their instructional methods with mere days’ or weeks’ notice in order to meet the needs of their students. This shows a dedication far beyond the norm. With the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” program perhaps nearing its close, Lutheran schools are uniquely positioned to build a strong ministry presence in this online school frontier. Thanks to its involvement in the Digital Futures Fellowship, the Martin Luther High School faculty and staff are ready to meet this challenge and further improve our academic program.
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue this effort. We look forward to sharing our work with you throughout the summer and into the upcoming academic year.
Funding Martin Luther High School
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The most critical aspect of building and funding the Martin Luther High School program is building enrollment. We need to grow our student body, with the goal of having 150 tuition-paying students! How can we do this?
YOU can help! Please share the Martin Luther High School vision with those around you. Talk about the importance of Christian education and the strength of the LCMS educational ministry. Visit the Martin Luther High School campus. Tour the building and the grounds. Experience the potential of this important ministry to high school students in the Lansing area. Support the Martin Luther High School ministry with your prayers, your time, your talents, and – if possible – your treasures. Tuition for MMLHSA families is $6,000.00 per year. For all others, the rate is $7,000.00. Please consider sponsoring tuition for a Martin Luther High School student, or a portion of a student’s tuition. Donations are tax deductible and would be a great blessing to students in need as well as to the MMLHSA ministry. Please contact the superintendent in the school office to set up your preferred payment plan. Monthly or quarterly payments are accepted, as are one-time donations. Payments can be made via check, cash, or electronic debit/credit card. We will soon have a web payment portal for your convenience. |
#MLHS REMOTE LEARNING
There has been a great deal of fear and uncertainty with the onset of the COVID-19 virus. Seemingly conflicting media reports only serve to fuel that fear, creating needless panic. The Martin Luther High School faculty and administration have developed a remote learning platform that allows for direct instruction via Google Classroom, Hangouts, and a host of other apps. Students are gathered electronically every day (8 am til 2 pm) for lectures, projects, . discussions, and a variety of other activities. Assignments are submitted and graded electronically. While there are different kinds of challenges to this setting, we are committed to providing a strong academic program for our students so that they can continue to meet their academic goals. Watch for a detailed update from Superintendent Traci Backus for the most current Information. |
